Upgrading
by snoozie2105
Summary: JJ/Rossi all the way! Please read and review! Two parts, second part now up!
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's note: This is based on an article that was in this month's Cosmo – as Tonnie said, "Who knew Cosmo could be so inspirational?" As always, many, many thanks to my writing friends ... I couldn't do it without you! **_

Jennifer Jareau sighed and closed her eyes as she rested her aching head on the soft pillow she'd grabbed on her way to the front of the cabin of the BAU's jet. She needed to be alone, needed time to think. Just as she and Will settled in for their first weekend together in three months, Hotch called. They had a case, and they had to get to Phoenix, Arizona, right away. She knew Hotch was serious when he told her that there was no time to lose. The call had come directly to him.

The hurt and angry expression on Will's face wouldn't leave her. She had been looking forward to their weekend too – things hadn't been great between them lately – and she felt terrible about having to leave, but what choice did she have? Work – important work – called. On her way out the door, she'd told him as much, asked what he would do if she were in New Orleans and he got called out to a scene. But there was no time to get into a deep discussion, no time to wait for his reply. The jet, and the team, would be waiting.

She knew a nap was what she needed, both to ease her head and quiet her mind, but trying to drift off for even a little while was an impossibility – too much chatter going on behind her and too much turbulence. Deciding that light reading might help her relax, she reached into her carry-on for the latest issue of _Cosmo_. Before she could open the magazine in which she hoped to immerse herself, David Rossi sat down beside her.

"Hey. You okay?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied, doing her best to offer him a convincing smile. If she didn't, he would know that she was not okay, and he would do his damnedest to find out what he could to do make whatever it was better. "Just tired."

"I can see that." He continued to study her, looking for signs as to what might be her trouble. "Not exactly the way any of us wanted to spend our weekend."

"No," she said, dangerously close to tears, but determined to fight them, determined not to break down in front of her closest friend and confidant. Since he'd been back at the BAU, he had become that and so much more, and at times she found herself wanting to just throw herself into his arms and be done with it, get the attraction they both seemed to feel out of their systems. When she struggled with a case, when Strauss was on her back, when she and Will had an argument ... he was the person she wanted to talk to.

Rossi was aware of JJ's plans for the weekend, and if he was a betting man, he'd say that the _other man_ in JJ's life, as he preferred to think of Will, had not taken her sudden departure well. "Talk to me," he implored, his voice low. "He isn't happy with you, is he?"

That simple question was her undoing. "No," she whispered, wiping away a tear. "I told him to stay until Sunday, as he'd planned, that I might be home by then, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's writing me a Dear John letter and booking a flight back to Louisiana as we speak."

Rossi bit back a curse. He hated to see JJ hurting, but it was clear that she wasn't happy with Will either, and he knew that this was not an isolated incident. "Honey," he said hesitantly, half of him afraid of upsetting her even more, half of him afraid of giving himself and his own feelings away, "if it isn't working for you, you should break it off."

She nodded her head. "I know. But we have a lot invested in our relationship, and I don't want to be wondering, five years down the road, if I should've tried harder, been more willing to – "

"Jennifer," he interrupted her firmly, taking her small hand in his larger one. "Don't. Don't do this to yourself. Trust me – I know that it accomplishes nothing."

She shook her head. "I guess you should."

"I do," he assured her. "Listen ... I've got to go work on the profile, but I'll come back and check on you when we finish. Promise me you'll ease up on yourself. If Will doesn't know what he has, your crazy job aside," he added, hoping to get a genuine smile, "he isn't worth your tears."

~*~

Eased after her chat with Rossi, JJ returned to her _Cosmo_, thinking that sleep might come easily now. The magazine was full of the usual articles, but when she turned to "Why More Chicks Are Cheating" she stopped, intrigued.

According to M. Gary Newman, author of _The Truth About Cheating_, "Women feel entitled to pleasure, so going outside the relationship is no longer taboo if it satisfies needs a parter isn't meeting," she read.

_How true_, she thought to herself, except she would add that it wasn't all about pleasure. It was about sharing one's life, the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, with another person, and Will simply had not been that person for her lately. They began their relationship understanding it wouldn't be easy with his job and hers but still committed to trying to make a go of it. Now, after months of trying, it didn't seem worth the effort. She often called too late, he was often unavailable, and when they did connect, neither one was very patient with or understanding. There was plenty of blame to go around, and in the end, it was shared more or less equally.

The article went on. "Compounding that license to cheat is a whole new world of enticement. Today, women kick more ass than ever at work. But the demands time at the office and on the road, rife with temptations like a 'work spouse' or cute guy at the bar."

"Work spouse." Garcia and Morgan often used that term for each other, in their own joking way, but, JJ decided, it could be applied to herself and Rossi. He always had time for her, no matter how many other things demanded his attention, and she never told him to come back later when he needed an ear and she had a mountain of files on her desk. She brushed it off as what friends did for each other, but that simple dismissal was getting harder and harder to acknowledge. She laid out the national and local sections of the newspaper for him; he laid out the comics, horoscopes and TV listings for her. She knew he liked his coffee with just enough cream; he knew to order her whiskey sour when they met up for a drink or were out for happy hour with the team. She understood that when he had a bad day, he'd come to her when he was ready to unload; he understood that when she had a bad day, supper at her favorite diner and a movie would set her to rights. She knew to rescue him when a female fan tried to hit him up for conversation or make advances; he knew to place a protective yet gentle hand to the small of her back when men came on to her.

It was all the little things they did without even thinking that qualified her as his "work wife" and him as her "work husband." Not that she would ever say that to him, though – she could imagine him cringing at the terminology._ But if only he would give me a real sign_, she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

~*~

The jet arrived in Phoenix in the middle of the night, and instead of going straight to the police department, the team went to their hotel to rest, Hotch wanting everyone to be ready for what the day ahead might bring. Hotch, Emily, Reid and Morgan claimed one of the SUVs waiting for them, and Rossi and JJ took the other.

"Feeling better?" he asked once they were alone.

"Yeah," she said, glancing over at him. He was so handsome in the dim light of the SUV, so warm and caring, she fought mightily the urge to lay a hand on his thigh. "Thanks for the chat earlier. You always know just what I need."

He started to answer that comment, but stopped himself. "You're welcome. Not that you would want to take serious relationship advice from me...."

She laughed and whacked his arm playfully. "And why not? You've 'been there, done that' enough."

"Jennifer, you wound me," he replied, feigning hurt feelings, though she could see that he was smiling. "I'll thank you to not make light of my past. I'm a changed man."

"You are?"

"I am."

"In what way?" she pressed, hoping for more details.

He sighed and shot her a quick look. "You really want to know?"

"Yes! I wouldn't have asked if I didn't."

"Okay," he said slowly. "I'm older. I'm wiser. I don't see something I want and take it. I don't think only of myself when I'm with someone."

At that, JJ snorted. "Maybe you could give Will a few lessons in that area."

Rossi had to tell himself to take a deep breath, to choose his words carefully. He could speak to that comment too, but he wouldn't, not now, not when the smart, beautiful petite blonde next to him was still with that clueless punk. "It's an acquired skill," he settled for saying.

"I'll keep that in mind."

He cursed Will again, hating to hear her so resigned, and deciding he couldn't hold his tongue any longer. He could give her advice without crossing any lines, right?

"Jennifer," he said slowly, "I meant what I said earlier. Don't stay with Will just because you feel obligated – it isn't like you're married and have kids. Don't settle. You can walk away. You deserve better."

"You're right," she agreed, contemplating his words.

"Then what's the problem?"

That was a loaded question if there ever was one; it gave her the perfect opportunity to lay her cards on the table, but again, she shied away, unsure of his reaction, so she settled for a half-truth. "The problem is that I'm used to him. He may not always be the best listener, or the best communicator, but he's all I've got."

"How can you say that?" Rossi finally exploded. "You've been so focused on Will, you don't even know who else is out there, just waiting for someone like you. End it, Jennifer. You'll feel a hell of a lot better if you do."

"Why are you so adamant?"

Rossi kept his eyes on the road.. His efforts to keep their conversations from going this deeply this quickly had been for both their sakes, but that task was becoming easier said than done. "Because it kills me to see you so unhappy. Because when you're not happy, I'm not happy."

"And why is that?"

"You don't stop with the questions, do you?"

"No, I don't," she said, her voice rising. "Not when my best friend won't level with me!"

"What do you want me to say?" he exclaimed.

"I want you to say what you want to say."

"What if I don't think you're ready to hear it?"

"Dammit, Rossi!" She slammed the dash with the heel of her hand. "Enough with the games!"

"What games?"

"Don't pretend like you don't know ... this ... this ... whatever it is! If you can say it, I can take it!"

By this time they had arrived at the hotel. As he put the SUV in park in front of the doors so they could unload their bags, he turned to her and looked deeply into her eyes. "I can't. It isn't right."

"Why?"

"I told you that I was a changed man, didn't I?"

"Yes," she said softly.

"There's your answer – I don't go chasing after women who are taken, no matter how tenuous that connection to another man might be."

Against his better judgment, he leaned forward and kissed her hard on the lips, but just as quickly exited the SUV, leaving her to wonder what the hell had just happened.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's note: Thanks to everyone for the reviews and the PMs! They're such an encouragement. **_

As JJ took a hot shower in an attempt to rid herself of the stress and tension that wracked her body, her mind wandered not to Will, as she told herself it should, but to Rossi. The man who was in the room next to hers. The man who was bound and determined to make her have a nervous breakdown.

His kiss still burned her lips. It had been full of restrained passion, passion that she was desperate to unleash and experience in every way. He'd given her the sign she'd been waiting for; what did she do now? She could put herself out there for him, but she didn't want him that way. It had to be a mutual coming together ... and she knew that wouldn't happen as long as she was tied to Will. Rossi had morals, for sure, and those morals now seemed to include not cheating. _Of all the times for him to decide to become a Boy Scout_, she scoffed as she turned off the water and reached for a towel.

When she settled herself in bed, she reached for the _Cosmo_ she'd been reading on the jet and returned to "Why More Chicks Are Now Cheating." Picking up where she left off, she read, "Current culture also fuels the cheating mind-set. Just as we lust after the latest, greatest It handbag, women want to upgrade their relationships .... 'And studies show that if you feel you can do better, you feel more entitled to stray,' says Gary Lewandowski, PhD, associate professor of psychology at Mounmouth University."

Hadn't Rossi just said that? Not the part about feeling entitled, but the part about feeling you can do better? Had he swiped her magazine and read that article while she was sleeping?

Deep down, this is what she had wanted to happen. She couldn't, and wouldn't, deny it, Will or no Will. But what if Rossi kissed her just to shut her up? She wouldn't put it past him to pull a stunt like that. One thing was for certain. She would find out. This was too important to let go.

~*~

They hit the ground running at seven Saturday morning and didn't stop until after ten Saturday evening. Rossi had visited the crime scene and worked on the profile with Hotch and Morgan, and JJ had been on and off the phone with Garcia and dealing with the press. She supposed it was just as well they had both been busy. They had a case that required their complete attention, and they couldn't very well give it that if they were distracted by personal matters.

When they finally had a suspect and the local police out hunting him down, Hotch called it a day. As JJ gathered her things, she checked her voicemail. Will had called five times, but she hadn't been able to answer – not simply because she was indeed busy, but because she didn't want to. He'd left a message after his fifth call: "JJ, honey, I hate to do this over the phone, but I don't know when I'll see you, or when you'll see your way to calling me back .... Anyway, I can't compete, I know that, and honestly, I don't want to. I'm out. I'm finished."

Instead of feeling sad, she felt relieved, like a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She rode back to the hotel with Morgan and Reid, not ready to be in a confined space with Rossi and unable to tell him that Will had just broken up with her; Hotch and Emily were friends, but they didn't need to witness her impending breakdown – or blow up, however it went down. This could change everything, and she needed to gather her thoughts before she went to him. It was now or never.

~*~

She gave the team thirty minutes to get settled in their rooms before she crept out into the hallway, Blackberry in hand, and knocked softly on Rossi's door. She didn't know what she would say, but trusted the words would come to her. She was good at thinking on her feet. It was what made her so good at her job. "David? Open up. It's me."

Her breath caught in her throat when she saw him clad in only a pair of flannel pajama pants. Her surprise didn't go unnoticed, but he merely smiled and stepped back so she could enter.

One chair held his ready bag, the other held his briefcase and files, so she settled herself on the edge of the bed. "What brings you here?" he asked, sitting next to her.

"I'm not going to throw myself at you, if that's what you're worried about," she replied without thinking. He was so cool, so casual, it infuriated her, and she couldn't resist a cutting remark.

"Don't be sarcastic," he replied in a way that made her feel immediately contrite. "It doesn't suit you."

He was right. Again. "I know, I'm sorry," she sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Will just broke up with me. In a voicemail."

His head snapped up. "What?"

"Listen for yourself," she said as she pressed the button for speakerphone and played Will's message. When it ended, she looked up at Rossi. "He did it for me."

"I'm sorry," he murmured, draping a strong arm across her shoulders and pulling her close to rest his cheek on the top of her head. "He shouldn't have taken the easy way out."

"Like you did last night?"

He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. "Jennifer ...."

"What, David?" she cried, stalking to the window to look out at the city below. "I'm so damn sick and tired of you holding back! If you have nothing to say to me, tell me, and I'll leave!"

The ten seconds in which he did not reply felt like an eternity. As she stalked past him on her way to the door, he grabbed her hand, pulling her back. "Don't leave. Please."

She sank back down on the bed and looked at him. She saw sincerity in his eyes, but honestly, she wasn't sure what else. She felt so mixed up. "Tell me ... have I just imagined how close we've become since you've been back? Imagined how important we are to each other? Imagined that you look at me with something more than friendship? Imagined the little touches that linger just a second too long? Imagined that kiss?"

His back was to the wall, and though his natural instinct was to come out fighting, he couldn't. He couldn't fight her any more than he could sprout wings and fly. And, in fact, he didn't want to. "Hear me out, okay?" he pleaded, shifting them both so they could face each other.

She nodded and squeezed his hand. "As long as you'll be honest with me."

"It's high time I was," he admitted. "I fell in love with you when I rejoined the team, when I stepped on your toes in Texas. You were just so full of piss and vinegar ... God, it was such a turn-on. But I got to know you as a professional and as a woman, and I saw that you were the complete package – beauty, intellect, sensitivity, wit, honesty, good sense ... everything I'd been searching for but never found in one woman. When you hooked up with Will, I told myself it was for the best, that I was too old, too bitter, too jaded ... decided that you needed someone completely different."

She raised her free hand to his cheek. "David ... I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions about how I want to be with. You should've _said_ something."

He chuckled. "And risk damaging what we did have? As hard as it was, I decided I'd rather have you as a friend than not have you at all. And I wasn't trying to put you off when I said I didn't go chasing women who were unavailable."

"But I'm not unavailable now," she pointed out, leaning ever so slightly forward.

"I know," he whispered as he leaned forward too, drawn to her like a magnet, close enough to get a whiff of the perfume he had come to think of as hers and hers alone, his eyes darting back and forth between her mouth and her eyes.

"Kiss me, David," she demanded, the desire she felt for him evident in her voice. "Kiss me like you mean it."

"With pleasure," he murmured as he lowered his lips to hers and pulled her to him.

The kiss they shared left no doubt that they both meant it. Aware of every inch of JJ's body, and her quickened breathing and soft moans, Rossi gently pushed her back on the bed and stretched out over top of her.

As she ran her hands over his solid upper body in an attempt to get closer, closer, closer, to him, he unbuttoned her silk shirt and pushed it aside, then quickly divested her of her simple yet sexy bra. He heard and felt her gasp when his warm, wet mouth found one breast, and his hands found the zipper of her skirt.

Her physical response told him she wanted this, but he had to hear it from her; he'd never forgive himself if he took her when she was so vulnerable. "Jennifer," he whispered urgently, "tell me. Tell me you want this as much as I do."

She laughed quietly as she pushed his pajama pants, along with his briefs, from his hips. "Oh, I want it, David – but I don't want it to be a one-night stand."

He smiled as he stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. "Me neither. I want you for as long as you'll have me."

Time seemed to stand still from that point on. He slipped off her skirt and panties, and when they were at long last skin-on-skin, it was his turn to groan with pleasure. "So good, Jennifer ... the way you smell, the way you sound, the way you taste, the way you feel ... so good, honey ...."

Those were her sentiments exactly about his body, but the pleasure he was giving and taking had robbed her of her ability to speak. She heard him telling her to let go, to let him take care of her, but somewhere in her mind, she knew that wouldn't be enough. As he kissed his way back up her lithe body from his leisurely detour south, she managed to convey with broken speech and demonstrative gestures that she wanted him. Needed him. _All of him. _Now.

Wrapping her legs around his waist, she sat up so she could nibble at his neck and whisper words of love. At one time in his life, a woman talking to him like that in a situation like this would've stopped him cold, but not now. It made the fire burn hotter.

With one slow, sweet, excruciating thrust, he entered her, causing her to arch her hips and gasp his name. "Did I hurt you?" he asked, searching her face for any sign of discomfort.

"No," she giggled, "but if you don't get going, I may hurt you."

They moved against each other, with each other, all the way to the peak of pleasure. "I love you," he whispered with the final thrust that sent them both over the edge.

"I love you too," she breathed as she tangled her fingers in his hair and kissed his sweaty shoulder. "Thank you."

"For what?" he chuckled as she flopped on his back, JJ following his movements by resting her head on his chest and throwing one leg in between his.

"Well, for what we just did now, obviously," she grinned, "but for not tempting me, before, when I was with Will," she added seriously.

"Honey," he said, meeting her gaze, "I've done things in my life that I'm not proud of, and of all those things, I'd have to say that cheating is at the top of the list. I knew if I felt bad about it, you would feel ten times worse."

"I know. I got that last night. I was mad, but deep down, I understood."

He dropped a kiss on her nose and squeezed her hip. "I can promise you, right here, right now, that you'll never have to worry about me stepping out on you. I'm a changed man, remember?"

"I remember," she murmured, thinking that the article was right – there was hope for long-term love.


End file.
